Puducherry to build dedicated shelters for stray dogs after SC order

The Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities have initiated steps to construct dedicated dog shelters, marking the first concrete infrastructure move towards implementing the Supreme Court's order to relocate stray dogs from institutional areas in States and Union Territories.

The Pondicherry Municipality has issued a work order to a private firm to build a shelter on land owned by the local body in Murungampakkam. The shelter, to be constructed at a cost of ₹97 lakh, will have the capacity to house 180 dogs. It is expected to be completed within three months.

The Oulgaret Municipality has also begun the process of setting up a shelter within the premises of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Sciences and Research (RIVER) at Kurumbapet. This will cater to the area under its jurisdiction, which includes major institutions like Pondicherry University, Puducherry Technological University, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, and several arts and science colleges.

The proposed facilities will include kennels, feeding areas, a kitchen, and basic veterinary infrastructure for first aid, vaccination, surgeries, and post-operative care wards. The shelters will be enclosed by compound walls to ensure the safety of the animals.

A survey conducted by the local bodies has identified around 400 dogs in public spaces that need to be relocated within their respective jurisdictions. An official said the relocation will be carried out in phases, with the day-to-day care of the dogs outsourced to non-governmental organisations. The local bodies will allocate funds, including for feeding, while nodal officers employed by the municipalities will oversee the operations.

Following the Supreme Court order, the local bodies had earlier written to the heads of hospitals, schools, and colleges directing them to appoint nodal officers to coordinate with government agencies. Institutions were asked to conduct a census of the dog population on their campuses and to ensure that feeding of stray dogs is not permitted within their premises. They were also directed to adopt measures to prevent the ingress of free-ranging dogs.

The Supreme Court had directed States and Union Territories to identify all government and private educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands, depots, and railway stations, and secure these premises with adequate fencing, boundary walls, and gates to prevent stray dogs from entering. The order also mandated that regular inspections be conducted at least once every three months to ensure no stray canines exist within or in the immediate vicinity of such institutions.

The Animal Welfare Board of India’s Standard Operating Procedure mandates that dogs removed from institutional areas cannot be released back into the same locations. They must instead be shifted to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination under the Animal Birth Control Rules.

The ABC programme in the region had already been intensified before the Supreme Court’s order. The International Trust of Peace, an NGO, is engaged to run the programme in the Pondicherry municipal areas at a fee of ₹1,650 per dog, covering capture, sterilisation, post-operative care, anti-rabies vaccination, and relocation. Over the last seven months, the Pondicherry Municipality has sterilised around 1,400 stray dogs through its ABC centre at Odiansalai.

The construction of these shelters is a significant step in the city’s effort to manage the stray dog population in a humane and structured manner. Once operational, they are expected to ease the pressure on public spaces while ensuring that the animals receive proper care.